Bare Ground, Hard Clay, and not Much Sun: Hear How to Transform this Space

Are you thinking of growing a potted olive tree? Or maybe you already have one…but you’re still waiting for olives. Olive trees are tough as nails. They can take more cold than many people realize. And they’re really beautiful, too. Put these all together, and you have a great potted plant for a cold-climate garden.
In my new book, Grow Olives Where You Think You Can't, I tell you everything you need to know to successfully grow an olive tree in a pot! 

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Got a spot you’d like to use to grow food but not sure where to start?

In this episode, we tackle a bare space with hard clay, in zone 3.

Let’s not forget the deer and rabbits. Oh, and there’s a narrow “hell strip” that’s needs to be planted too.

The good news is that there are lots of ways to add edibles to a garden. The way to start is by choosing a creative direction, and then getting started.

We work through two entirely different approaches to this space.

First, we explore a low-maintenance “grazing” garden with perennials. Next, we think about how to use a potager style in this space.

For the plant palette we’re including options for:

·         Partial sunlight

·         Good cold tolerance for perennials (zone 3!)

·         Less attractive to deer

·         Plants that give options for adding colour, texture, and height

If you’re looking for fruits, vegetables, and other plants that you can grow in the shade, here’s a post to get you started. 

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-->Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time!

-->Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates.

-->And say hi—we love to hear what you think!

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- Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We’re making the world a better place one garden at a time!

- Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates.

- And say hi—we love to hear what you think!